(500) Days of Summer poster & wallpaper

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend

This is a story of boy meets girl, begins the wry, probing narrator of 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, and with that the film takes off at breakneck speed into a funny, true to life and unique dissection of the u...( read more  read more... )nruly and unpredictable year-and-a-half of one young man's no-holds-barred love affair.

Flixster Users

82% liked it

32,226 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

181 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Marc Webb

Release Date: July 17, 2009

Invite friends to see

Get It:

Stats: 10,363 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel Tom Hansen Tom Hansen Summer Finn 500 Days of Summer . 500 Days of Summer Summer Finn Summer Finn Summer Finn Joseph Gordon Lewitt and Zooey Deschanel Karaoke Night 500 Days of Summer (500) Days of Summer Summer Finn 500 Days of Summer Zooey Deschanel Zooey Deschanel
Upload a Photo |

View All (500) Days of Summer Photos (31)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (10,363)

  • ironclad1609
    November 2, 2009
    ironclad1609
    This romantic comedy follows the relationship of Tom and Summer, from the getting to know each other as friends to the awkward meeting months after the end and the...well, one shouldn't give away too much. That may sound as if it has been done similarly many times before, but it ...( read more)hasn't. This film brings more fresh ideas to the genre than most others of the last ten years.
    Examples? The story is not told chronologically, but with emphasis on what seem to be randomly mixed but very important days from the relationship. Or: The morning after the first sex (Day 35) Tom walks down the street with a big grin, sees himself as Han Solo in mirrors and soon bursts into a musical number including cartoon birds. There are plenty of more cases, like the wise advice-giving teenage sibling, the expectation vs. reality split screen or the beautiful "childhood footage" opening sequence.
    All those wonderful quirky ideas, together with an excellent soundtrack, the lovely characters and the very natural acting (especially Zooey Deschanel as Summer is wonderful), make for a charming, funny, sad and true movie experience. And the best part? The movie works for cynics, couples and singles all the same. Wonderful!
  • DerekA101
    October 14, 2009
    DerekA101
    500 Days of Summer was a real surprise to me, and has turned into one of my favorite films of 2009. It's a cute, romantic comedy about a hopeless romantic boy and his undying affection for Summer, who happens to be the complete opposite.

    Zooey Deschanel is flawless as ...( read more)the cute, spunky and rigid Summer. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the nerdy, love-struck character amazing as well.

    The narration was different and unique, and I feel it added a new dimension to the film. The shifting timeline kept the story interesting. Overall, this is an underrated, cute indie film that both males and females can enjoy.
  • mrpopcorn
    October 6, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't."

    An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman (Deschanel) who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls for her.

    REVIEW<
    ...( read more)/center>
    A truly wonderfully executed rom/dramedy that has echoes of John Hughes/Cameron Crowe romanticism/whimsy about boy-meets-girl (the amazingly subtle Gordon-Levitt and the deliciously delightful Deschanel, channeling John Cusack from "Say Anything..." and Ally Sheedy from "The Breakfast Club" as archetypes of the nice-guy/off-center muse) in sunny LA (never looking better thanks to fantastic camera-work by Eric Steelberg), comes off executed as a mix-tape to the heart in how falling in love can be remarkably schizophrenic/ inspring/ crazingly difficult/ intoxicating/ infuriating/ admirable/ shocking/ familiar and practically universal in how one goes from one extreme to the other in attempting to figure out soulmate status or casual sex with leaps and bounds of highly imaginative screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. Marc Webb makes a fantastic directorial debut allowing his main characters free-range in displaying their chops as well as showcasing their personas. A superb soundtrack also helps, namely the charming use of Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" and the ethereally poignant "Bookends" by Simon & Garfunkel. Complex and sublime; one of the year's best films and highly recommended; a must see!
  • PvtCaboose91
    September 22, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "It's official. I'm in love with Summer. I love her smile. I love her hair. I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I love her heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps."


    (500) Days of Summer is a romantic comedy des

    ...( read more)igned for viewers who don't usually like romantic comedies. Or, to rephrase, it's a movie for those who appreciate the emotional resonance of a rom-com but are unenthusiastic about the clichés and formulas associated with the genre. In fact, what sets (500) Days of Summer apart from its cookie-cutter rom-com brethren is its subtle mocking of convention. Much like Woody Allen's Annie Hall did for a previous generation, this is a film that best captures a contemporary romantic sensibility. For his feature film debut, former music video director Marc Webb has done so much right that it's hard and perhaps borderline mean-spirited to point out the few minor foibles.


    The protagonist of the story is hopeless romantic Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt) who reflects on the several hundred days he knew Summer Finn (Deschanel). The moment Tom spots her in the workplace, he's instantly smitten. After a few encounters at work, the two become romantically involved. But there's one crucial obstacle in their relationship: radically opposing perceptions on love. Despite Summer's firm stance that she's not looking for anything serious, Tom harbours delusions that she's falling head-over-heels for him.


    The story of Tom and Summer's relationship is not conveyed in a simple linear progression, but rather told out of order (with a counter that reveals which day it is). As the narrative whipsaws back and forth, the film allows us to see moments of happiness and sadness, tenderness and anger, togetherness and separation...all right next to each other. It shows how memories of the good and the bad intertwine and obscure each other, depending on the moment. The screenwriters brilliantly realise that, even in the pain of a break-up, all the happy, earlier memories of a person will forever exist. It's unbelievably difficult to just get over someone when you can still vividly recall how they used to look at you.


    In a sense, (500) Days of Summer feels like an anthology of bits and pieces that don't often feature in rom-coms. Adamantly eschewing convention (no cute meetings or last-minute dashes to the airport), this is a movie concerned about the thrill of realising a girl you desire has similar taste in music, and the hollowness of going out on dates when you're still pining for your ex-girlfriend. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber's screenplay is smart, witty, frequently hilarious, and rooted in recognisable truths that give weight to what would otherwise be merely amusing. Also, viewers aren't damned to endure gross-out gags or unfunny pratfalls, because the comedy (of which there is a lot) evolves organically. The script isn't ridiculously profanity-ridden either, though the sole use of the f-word perhaps provides the biggest laugh. Not everything works - an omniscient narrator seems lazy and overused, and Tom has a kid sister (Moretz) who's wise beyond her years - but even if something falls flat, there's plenty of charm to allow us to discount these misgivings.


    Director Marc Webb brings the script to life with the utmost pizzazz; indulging in a full armada of visual tweaks and ocular gags. There are faux old movie recreations (most notably of Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal) that place Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel in the action, a clever split-screen sequence that balances Tom's hopeful fantasy with the less optimistic reality, and a wonderful song-and-dance number to convey the joyfulness of Tom's first night with Summer (set to You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oates). This breezy song-and-dance sequence is especially critical to putting the movie in proper perspective - for the entirety of the film, viewers are not objective voyeurs...they're gazing through Tom's eyes.


    (500) Days of Summer has quite a neo-Woody Allen vibe, calling to mind two classic romantic comedies courtesy of the writer-director: Annie Hall and Manhattan (though Joseph Gordon-Levitt is better looking than Woody and infinitely less neurotic). These aforementioned films recognised a simple fact that few rom-coms acknowledge: not all romances, no matter how promising, end happily. (500) Days of Summer also understands this, as well as the fact that every high of a relationship has a matching low.


    The amount of movie-goers who develop crushes for Zooey Deschanel is borderline embarrassing, and this reviewer is as guilty as anyone else. But you can't help it; every time she appears in a movie, she's absolutely enchanting. (500) Days of Summer cleverly trades in on that - an early sequence (with wry narration) explains "the Summer Effect"; presenting hard data which reveals, for example, that she substantially increased profits at an ice cream parlour during her time of employment there, and the average percent of the asking price she usually pays for an apartment. Summer is always in danger of becoming a romanticised abstraction, but Zooey's wonderful performance and inherent beauty keeps the character profoundly human. Her charm is effective, and a viewer can easily understand why Tom would be so enamoured with her and want to hold onto her, even when she's clearly and defiantly pulling away from him.


    Joseph Gordon-Levitt (best known for his recurring role in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun) is note-perfect, and so effortlessly charismatic that it's hard not to like him. Thanks to the flights of fancy taken by the script, Gordon-Levitt must speak French, sing awful karaoke, and lead a song-and-dance number in the streets (among other things), all of which he accomplishes with marvellous aplomb. Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are an outstanding screen couple with unusually brilliant chemistry. The entire cast is simply perfect from top to bottom.


    Romantic comedies are too often robbed of integrity on account of the constraints of the traditional hackneyed formula. Movies such as (500) Days of Summer, with a willingness to deviate from convention, therefore seem more honest and excellent than usual. With its boundless charm and witty screenplay, this is an easy film to fall in love with.
  • smith44
    September 21, 2009
    smith44
    The best romantic comedy I have seen in ages! I like to think everyone has been in a relationship like the one described in 500 days of summer, it makes me feel like I'm not alone.
  • DanseMacabre
    November 12, 2009
    DanseMacabre
    12/11/09
    (un tre e mezzo un po' regalato. alcune scene sono stupende, ma per il resto mi aspettavo decisamente di più)
  • cambriajade
    November 11, 2009
    cambriajade
    absolutely amazing!!!!
  • theloneowl
    November 11, 2009
    theloneowl
    Dopo tutti i mesi di attesa e le critiche feroci avevo quasi paura a guardarlo, e invece no, è stato perfetto così. Ha fatto malissimo ma non cambierei una virgola.
  • ripplecloud
    November 11, 2009
    ripplecloud
    An entertaining comedy. Perhaps a tad idealistic towards the end but there's nothing wrong with that in a rom-com is there?
  • chicken2402
    November 11, 2009
    chicken2402
    The movie deals with completely irrelevant issue of one's life, it's not enlightening, nor entertaining.

View All (500) Days of Summer Reviews

Critic Reviews

July 20, 2009
Marcy Dermansky, About.com

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel light up the screen in Marc Webb's directorial debut (500) Days of Summer. That might sound corny, but they do. full review

July 17, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Everything that's wrong, on the surface, with (500) Days of Summer pales in light of everything that's going on beneath its surface. full review

July 17, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Much like Annie Hall did for a previous generation, (500) Days of Summer may be the movie that best captures a contemporary romantic sensibility. full review

July 16, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

For all its ambitiousness, (500) Days of Summer feels synthetic and derivative, a movie that's popping with perceptions while searching for a style. full review

July 16, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

A fresh July breeze among recent (and mostly stale) romantic-comedy offerings. full review

July 16, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The ending is tidy and way too cute, but (500) Days is otherwise a different kind of love story: an honest one that takes a piece out of you. full review

July 16, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The movie charmed me enough to send me out smiling, and I can see younger filmgoers taking it very much to heart. full review

July 16, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

In romance, we believe what we want to believe. That's the reason 500 Days of Summer is so appealing. full review

July 15, 2009
Armond White, The New York Press

It is so annoyingly cute about the smartness of middle-class young white people in love that one quickly realizes it is only about that -- not love nor passion as everyone experiences it. full review

July 13, 2009
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

There's no real drama when the inner life of the female lead is so shrouded, even if that's the point. full review

View more (500) Days of Summer reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • macgyver56
    July 18, 2009
    macgyver56
    I really want to see this movie! It looks really nice!
Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger (500) Days of Summer Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • When Harry Met Sally
    When Harry Met Sally (14%)
  • Running With Scissors
    Running With Scissors (25%)
  • Before Sunset
    Before Sunset (100%)
  • Eagle vs. Shark
    Eagle vs. Shark (100%)

More Movies like (500) Days of Summer

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All (500) Days of Summer Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add (500) Days of Summer to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View (500) Days of Summer News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

BatataPalha Skin by BatataPalha
117 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins